A Subtle Haunting
by Spottedshadow
Summary: When Skittery was only twelve years old, his life started to fall apart around him. First his sister, then his dad, and finally his mom. What led Skittery to the Newsies Lodging House in the first place? How did he get his name? Reviews are mighty welcome
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Newsies. Nor to I claim to. Skittery is property of Disney. However, the ideas and speculations expressed here are of my own thoughts. Eloise is mine.**

Chapter 1 - The Past is the Past

Five years ago, his life was normal. Five years ago, Skittery had a family, a name, even a future. Of course that all changed in a single moment. The moment Skittery let go was the moment that she was taken from them. It wasn't even a day, not an hour, not even a minute. It was a single second, a single stitch in time.

The young boy, with his curly brown hair and a happy smile, had been playing in Central Park with his sister. Although they were six years apart, they loved to play and just be together. Laughing the little blonde girl called out to the dark-haired boy.** "Skylar! Don pway in fee twees! Mommy says its dangouws," **she said, her youthful voice ringing through the trees. Skylar shrugged and perched on a branch. **"She only says that because she doesn't want you to climb them Elle,"** he said. Then Eloise started the cry. _Shoot... _he thought and climbed down the treet. **"It's all better, I'm down now," **Skylar said, hugging his little sister.

**"YAY!"** Eloise cheered, her fair skin lighting up happily. Then they heard the warm voice of their mother called them come along. They needed to get home. The sun was disappearing quickly and their mother and father hated walking home in the dark. The two children raced toward their parents. **"It's time to go,"** she said warmly. Skylar nodded and took the usual position between his mother and Eloise. He took the young girl's hand so her wandering eyes wouldn't separate her from the group. As a family, the four walked out of the park and toward their Manhattan apartment. While they walked, night crept up on them and cast it's eerie darkness over the streets and the family alike.

The moonless black coated the family in dark blankets of night. Skylar grabbed his mother's hand and continued on his way. Suddenly a loud and foreboding clatter sounded from nearby. Spooked, Skylar jumped fifteen feet in the air and clutched onto his mother's arm for dear life. With a kiss on the top of his head, his mother reassured him that everything was going to be all right, and the family started up again. Almost to their home.

It was then that Skylar came to the cold realization. Eloise was no longer holding his hand! **"Um, Eloise had gotten distracted again,"** he lied, knowing full well that the young girl's hand had been dropped when the noise sounded. **"I'll be right back, I think she's looking at the bakery again." **With that, Skylar raced back the way they came. He skidded to a halt in front of the ally that he'd been spooked at. Skylar walked down it. The utter blackness of the ally swallowed him up.

Skylar felt like he walking for hours and nothing was surfacing when he saw a light flicking ahead. A candle! Skylar raced ahead. He was sprinting toward the light hoping to find Eloise. That's when he saw her. Her little face, filled with fear, expressed sudden hope when she saw Skylar. **"Eloise," **he started to apologize, but a tall, thin man appeared. The man held what looked like a board and he brought it crashing down on Skylar's head. He fell to the ground and looked up at Eloise and saw her looking at him with utter horror in her brown eyes. _I've failed her,_ Skylar thought and the whole world faded into oblivion.


	2. Chapter 2

**I do not own Newsies or Skittery/Skylar. The name Skylar is mine, Eloise is mine, and the ideas expressed are mine. The strange newsie is credited to Smiles.**

Chapter 2 - Two Years and Death

Two years later on Eloise's birthday, Skylar and his family, well his mother and he, got the final word. Eloise's body had been found, dumped carelessly into the river. She was dead. It was official now. There was no hoping and praying left that could bring her back. Eloise was lost to Skylar and his mother. Gone like dust in the wind. And there was no one to blame, but himself. _But I could never admit..._ Skylar thought. He loved his sister, but he didn't want to bear the burden of everybody else blaming him for her loss. Skylar had a hard enough time dealing with his own personal grief. And everything, absolutely everything, had taken a turn for the worse in poor Skylar's life.

His mother was going to have another baby now. She'd been so happy! At least, until Skylar's newly found curse caught him. His father left. Walked out on the life he knew and ran away to Michigan with some women. Skylar was absolutely positive, although his mother, in half delerium, insisted that Mr. Funke just got called away to a war or something and just couldn't bear to say good-bye. The loss of income forced Skylar to drop school and work with a carriage house to support his mother. She couldn't work. She was weepy all the time and her hands always shook. She used to be young, vibrant, and one of the most talented seamstresses in all of New York, but since Eloise's disappearance she'd been slowly failing at everything. Even as a mother, but at fourteen, Skylar could fend for himself entirely, although he wasn't about to leave his mother out in the cold. It was the only thing that seemed right since Eloise left them.

The news was brought to the two in the most painful way possible. Nobody came to them directly. No message from the police, the city morgue, or even warning from the press. No. Skylar bought a paper from some newsboy with a smirk and blue eyes. Skylar knew he was being swindled by the boy. Just something about their personalities just didn't click right... Walking home from the Brooklyn Carriage House, Skylar was browsing the headlines when one in particular caught his eye. "Youth Eloise Funke Found Slaughtered In Hudson River". Skylar nearly jumped out of his skin. Looking at the bridge he was crossing, he sprinted across it and all the way home. As he ran, he felt the eyes of strangers staring at him. Anyone of them could be the murderer of his sister. And one day Skylar would find them, and they would be no more. Skylar would hunt them down and kill them exactly the same way that they killed Eloise.

That's when he felt it. An icy wraith clutched his wrist tightly. Skylar thought it was going to rip his hand off. He stopped suddenly and tried to shake the feeling that something not natural was here. After a while the pain subsided in his wrist. _Whatever that was, it's gone now_, Skylar decided and started to go home again. As he climbed the steps to their dilapidated apartment, the feeling returned. He just felt cold all over, no pain, just an eerie chill settled over him. Skylar clutched the newspaper and walked inside. **"Mother!"** Skylar called, headed toward her bedroom. **"Mom, Eloise... She's..."**

**"What?"** Mrs. Funke snapped. **"Still missing? Come home?**" Skylar sighed. His mother always got like this when Eloise was mentioned. Finally the tears came to his eyes. The shock of his sister being officially declared dead was enough to rack him full of tears. The salty water slid down his cheek and dripped onto the dark brown shirt. Unmoved by her sons tears, Mrs. Funke snatched the newspaper and skimmed the article written about Eloise. **"Figures..."** And that was all she said on the subject. Shortly after, she sent Skylar to bed.

As the young boy started to finally drift into to sleep, he heard quiet footsteps outside his door. Closing his eyes quickly, his mother peeked her head inside, then closed the door again. Skylar leapt to his feet silently. He left the tear stained pillow and crept forward. After hearing the front door open and shut again, Skylar left the safety of his room. On the table in the kitchen he saw a pink thing and a note besides it. _I'll read it later, mom's probably going to Eloise's grave site without me,_ he thought and hurried out the door behind the older woman.

Skylar trailed his mother for a long while. She didn't seem to actually know where she was going and her path was curved and she stumbled a lot. Skylar knew the signs. His mother was drunk. Very drunk. He'd only seen his father drunk on occasion. Skylar didn't drink. That wasn't his scene. He did however smoke a cigarette on occasion. His mother didn't know, but they calmed Skylar down greatly. He probably shouldn't be smoking at his age, but he didn't care. The Carriage House boys smoked and Skylar joined them. That was his vice. Finally, his mother came to a halt. On the middle of the Brooklyn Bridge. _Whoa! I think she's going to jump!_ Skylar thought and raced forward. He was about to call out to his mother, when the presence returned. It leeched onto his shoulder and crushed him. His lungs threatening to give out, and Skylar had but one choice. Stop. He did and a moment later his mother's long brown hair streamed out behind her as she plummeted toward the water. When the splash erupted, Skylar couldn't take it anymore. He ran at the bridge and stared after his mother.

Kicking and screaming, Skylar was practically attacking the metal structure. It wasn't like he could do much, but it made him feel better. **"Why would you do that?" **he screamed to the heavens. **"You just left me here by myself! What the Hell am I supposed to do now?"** Skylar had never sworn before. It was a first for him, but he was so upset. He was still at the anger stage, the next would be the tears. He intended on being at home when that one kicked in. He started to walk back home, swearing one thing. He would never think about what to say again. It lead to the death of his mother. Skylar was just about over the bridge when he heard a loud clatter. He jumped and turned. It was the same sound from that faithful day that ruined everything.

**"Who are you? And why are you destroying my bridge? What's the matter with you? Do you need-"** the blonde newsie asked, scowling at Skylar. Not waiting for the boy to finish, Skylar turned and raced away. The tears were coming and he didn't have time to deal with this boy now. Little did he know, of the two years of utter misery, that mistake just might as well have been his worst.


	3. Chapter 3

**As usual, I don't own Newsies. Noise is mine, Eloise is mine, Skylar the name is mine, and the ideas expressed are mine.**

Chapter 3- Skylar or Skittery?

Skylar arrived home. The tears finally released themselves and streamed down his soft cheeks. Skylar sat down at the table. Putting his head down, the pink garment finally seemed important. Skylar grabbed it and held it up. Long Underwear? **"Odd,"** Skylar said, refusing to think before saying. He bragged the note and stared numbly at his mother's horrid scrawl.

Unfortunately, for you, this mote means that I am gone. I am out of this world of pain and suffering. If you weren't likely to try and stop me, I would have invited you to come along. Although, I am sure you'll come along with me eventually. Sooner, rather then later. I have sold all of my possession, including the apartment. The only thing that you get to keep is that pink thing. It was your father's, he never wore it… Anyway, if you don't want to go to jail for trespassing, then get out of my house. Now.

Skylar couldn't believe his eyes. Those were the last words that she wanted to share with him? Get out? Feeling the anger well up inside him, Skylar threw the note across the room with an angry scream. He stood quickly, knocking the chair beneath him to the ground.** "I can not believe that you just left me,"** Skylar growled aloud. He snatched up the pink long johns and stormed out the door, slamming it behind him. Fuming down the dark Manhattan Streets, Skylar looked around. He'd been wandering for about an hour and he was now hopelessly lost. Skylar saw a building that had lights and lots of people. The glass door said "Tibby's". _Must be a bar,_ Skylar thought and looked over his shoulder before entering cautiously.

The noise was something that Skylar could never had imagined in his wildest dreams. He sensed around him, Eloise hadn't followed him here. _Or she's happy that I'm utterly alone and I'm utterly at the bottom of life, maybe she's content…_ Skylar decided and continued on the way inside. Everybody was shouting, drinking, or drinking and shouting… The smell of beer wrafted through the building as Skylar paced forward slowly, his face set in a scowl and his eyes red and puffy. He stood stiffly at the bar, people watching.** "Whatcha drinking'?"** a voice from Skylar's left said. **"I'se be buyin' ya anudder."** Turning around, Skylar found himself looking face to face with another boy. The boy wasn't too much older then he. And the boy was holding a beer.

**"I'll take one of those,"** Skylar said, looking over his shoulder restlessly. The police could come and arrest him at any moment. The boy smiled and got into a long winded discussion with the bartender before he actually ordered the beverage. _The illegal beverage,_ Skylar found himself thinking. When the bartender slid Skylar the drink, he sipped it at experimentally. _Yuck! How do people drink something like this?_ He wondered and sipped at his drink slowly. Skylar pulled out his cigarette, his only one, and he lit it. Looking around nervously again, Skylar took a long drag.

**"So, watcha call yaself?"** the boy asked. Skylar was about to answer, when the boy continued. **"Whatcha do for a livin? I'se a Newsie, I sell papes. Thoity a day, ya know? I also tawk a ton, an' that be why I'se called Noise,"** Noise continued on like that for several minutes. Skylar tuned him out and looked over his shoulder several times for signs of anyone that would bring him harm. Skylar didn't know anyone that could talk as much as Noise did. **"Ya know what? You'se drinkin' that mighty slow, ya know? Ya ain't never says a word since we'se been tawkin'. Are ya mute?"**

**"Um, what? No, I'm not, sorry…"** Skylar said, paying attention just at the right moment. This guy was talking Skyar's ear off. **"It is nice to meet you Noise. I am Skylar, and I, um, just lost my mother, so I'm an orphan. Oh, and I'm homeless on top of all that…."** Skylar didn't know why he was talking about all that. It must be the beer that he was sipping on slowly. _That's it, for sure,_ he decided and shut his own mouth with the tail end of his cigarette.

**"Ya know what Skylar? I gots a job for ya, ya know?"** Noise said, leaning in close, so he could be heard. **"Ya can come woik wit' the Newsies, ya know?**" Noise was shouting despite the closed gap. Skylar had never heard anyone that asked a question after every sentence practically. **"Ya know what else Skylar? Ya'se mighty skittery ya know? All restless and jumpy,"** Noise said. He seemed deeply intrigued by the thought and Skylar only nodded. He was restless; he'd admit it no problems. His mother just died, his siter was haunting, and now he was all alone. **"Yeah, that's good. Ya don't mind if we call ya Skittery do ya? It's a good name ya know? See ya tomorrow! Oh, you don't know how to get to the lodge… Follow me and I'se show ya, ya know?"** With that Noise leapt to his feet and rushed out the door.

_Wow…_ Was the only thought that Skylar could think of. He wanted to call him Skittery? That was such an odd name… It made him sound like a mouse or something… And why couldn't the people just call him Skylar? Skylar looked and saw that Noise was almost down the street, so Skylar rushed out of the bar and down the street, trying to catch up. Finally, Noise stopped in front of an old building that was labeled "Newsboy's Lodging House". **"Home sweet home, come on Skittery, let's go meet everyone, ya know? I'm sure they want to get to know ya, and ya want to get to know them, ya know?"** Noise said and dragged Skylar inside. _I'm really going to have to get used to being called Skittery… I don't think I can talk my way out of that one…_ he thought and decided that if he were to consider himself Skittery, the transition would be easier. **"Hey guys! Come an' meet Skittery! He's new ya know? Kloppman? We gots room for one more? Skittery ain't gots anudder place to go, ya know?"** When the only adult in the building nodded, and wrote in a book, Noise dragged Skittery up the stairs.

Skittery was thrown into a room full of young boys, some younger, some older, some the same age that he was. **"Guess what? This is Skittery, he's know ya know?"** Noise said loudly, introducing him to everyone. All these boys had odd names like Noise's. _And mine too…_ he thought and tried to force a smile. Quickly, Skittery gave up and decided that it was no good… The smile wasn't going to work… _Someday, I will be able to know them by name,_ Skittery thought as he settled into the bunk that they said was his now. It was already almost too short. If he grew anymore, then he wouldn't fit anymore. Skittery finally felt home. That's when Eloise returned to him.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Newsies, Skittery, Jack Kelly, or Racetrack. However, the ideas expressed are my own, as is Noise.**

Chapter 4 - Must Have A Hat

Skittery's dream was horrid. He was reliving that moment that he was trying so hard to forget about. Only, it wasn't a tall, thin man that captured Eloise. It was him. He took her. He killed her. He destroyed his entire life. It wasn't another person at all. No board to the face. Nothing, but him and the weapon that he killed her with. Skittery wasn't just the cause of the accident; he was the accident. The scared little girl in his dream opened her tiny mouth as if to plead for her safety and release, but her voice wasn't right at all. And Skittery wondered if he was remembering her wrong.

**"Heya Skittery!"** Eloise said, her voice surprisingly masculine. And loud, definitely loud. _Eloise never called me Skittery either... She knew me as Skylar,_ Skittery thought. He began wondering what had happened to Eloise. **"Time to raise an' shine, ya know?"** _Eloise never, and I mean never, finished a statement with a question..._ Skittery decided and opened his eyes.

**"What?"** he cired. Noise's gray eyes were right in Skittery's face. He jumped straight off his bed and landed with a _Thump!_ **"Ow..."** Skittery muttered rubbing his spine._ What a way to wake up..._ he thought and wondered if it was going to be like this everyday. He'd have to get some kind of pad for the floor if it was. Well, at least he had a friend. Noise was the only friend that Skittery had anymore. _When was the last time I even had friends?_ he wondered to himself. It was probably before Eloise had been taken. After that, he just stored himself away at home and work. The carriage shop boys weren't even his friends; they were bullies that enjoyed picking on him...

**"Hey Skittry, are ya all right?" **Noise asked, leaning over Skittery's bunk to look down at him. Skittery was about to reply, when Noise spoke. Again. **"Good, glad ya fine. Didn't know what I'se says if ya hoit yaself, ya know?"** Skittery just looked at the chatter box. He hadn't even had the opportunity to say that he was find. He was, but still... **"Come on, ya know? We need to sell the papes, like now, ya know?"** Skittery stood and stared at the busy room in awe.

The large room was a bustle of activity. _Like a beehive,_ Skittery thought numbly. Boys everywhere were racing about doing various things to get ready like: brushing hair, shaving, taking showers or baths, washing faces, greasing hair, getting dressed, and even putting on newsboys caps. _I haven't got any of these things..._ Skittery thought with dismay. As usual he'd be the odd man out. All he had to his name were the black night pants that were far too big for him and his white undershirt that he'd been wearing while he followed him mom, and he had the pink long johns. _Can't hurt..._ Skittery thought. He slid off the black cotton pants and the undershirt. Under normal circumstances, Skittery would have felt abnormal changing in front of some many people, but these weren't normal circumstances. It appeared to be acceptable here.

Wearing his pink single-pieced long johns, Skittery started to head to the sink, when Noise intercepted him. **"Whatcha weain'? Ya know, ya ain't gonna sell in that, ya know?"** he said loudly. **"Impolite, ya know?"** With that, Noise hopped away quickly before Skittery could reply._ What's wrong with what I'm wearing?_ Skittery wondered. When Noise reappeared, he handed Skittery a pair of light brown slacks, dark blue suspenders, and a cream once white, over shirt. As quickly as possible, Skittery dawned his new clad. The slacks were a little short for his long legs, and the shirt was a little big, but Skittery was grateful. Noise looked thoughtfully at him for a moment. **"Ya know what? Ya needs yaself a vest, ya know? And a hat. Ya can't be a Newsie wit'out a hat, ya know?**

Skittery only shrugged in response. He didn't actually know that a hat was apart of his job description. Of course, Noise was on it again. _That's a true friend,_ Skittery thought happily. Just as he was about to smile finally, an icy grip eased across his palm, and freezing him all the way to his core. Eloise. Skittery looked up as Noise returned with another Newsie. Skittery tried to shake the clutching around his palm. There was nothing that he would do... _I'll never make any friends if I can never be my happy self..._ he thought with a new dismal outlook on his life. The cool wraith relinquished her grip on him then. _If I'm sad, the ghost is happy,_ he thought. _I can do that, no problem._ The new Newsie, Skittery knew he'd met the previous night, but he couldn't remember his name for anything... The other boy was a little shorter then Skittery, but they were about the same age. **"Skittery? I know ya remember Cowboy right? Of course ya do, ya know? Anyway, he's gots a vest he says ya can have, ya know? It's great, ya know?"** With that, Noise hurried away again, presumably to finish getting ready.

**"Hi, uh, Cowboy,"** Skittery said. He was about to think about his next words, when his brain put his mouth on auto-pilot. **"Cowboy is a strange name. Why on Earth would they call you that?"** Skittery said, sliding his arms though the vest and had a single thought. _That was a foolish thing to say... He's probably proud of his name..._ Skittery if his vow of talk first, think later was going to bite him in the butt on more then one occasion.

**"Well, what kind of name is Skittery?"** Cowboy said. His brown eyes seemed mildly angry as Skittery did up the buttons. **"Anyway, m' name's Kelly, Jack Kelly."** Jack held out his hand and Skittery shook it apologetically. Jack walked away toward the sink and Skittery figured that he was ready to get ready. He walked to an open sink and turned on the water to wash his face. The water was cold, ridiculously cold. Skittery flinched at it, but scrubbed the dirt from his face carefully. When he was done, he ran his fingers through his curly hair and started to leave the cluttered sink area.

**"Skittery, ya wanna use m' comb?"** a voice called. Skittery looked up and found himself looking at a short boy, maybe a little older then he. **"Hiya, the name's Racetrack."** The boy, Racetrack, sounded a little different then everyone else. Skittery then became aware that they all had ways of speaking that were far different then his own. Skittery was proper in his speech and they spoke slang. _I'm going to have to start picking up that slang, or I'll be far too different..._ Skittery thought and ran the comb through his curls, straightening them out as he went. Skittery pulled his hair back like he saw the other boys doing. It may have been for a hat, but he did the motion. It seemed like the right thing to do anyway...

**"Thanks,"** Skittery said to Racetrack, before walking away from the sink to give others space to prepare themselves. Skittery went and started to make the old sheet on his bed, when Noise's tanned face suddenly appeared on the other side of it. **"Dear Lord!"** Skittery shouted in surprise. Noise only laughed and tapped a cap onto his head. Skittery pulled the brown cap off his head and looked at it. It didn't seem special. He didn't see why he had to wear it, but he put it back on his head while Noise chattered endlessly about selling newspapers. Suddenly, Noise turned and walked away, gesturing for Skittery to follow. Skittery shrugged and went after him. This was the start of his first day of work with Noise, and quite possibly his last.


End file.
